Anna Pearce

Meet Restaurants Brighton Reviewer, Anna Pearce

A born & bred South East Londoner, I’ve lived in Brighton for a decade after coming here for University and falling in love with the place. In between my profession as a beauty-junky-digital-marketing-aficionado, I’ve followed my passion for food with various review roles over the years. As a lifelong vegetarian, I love what this city has to offer in terms of innovation and variety in veggie food, rivalling any other city I’ve been to. A new mum of twins, I’m finding my days are filled with mummy lunch dates, giving me the perfect opportunity to scout out the many eateries Brighton has to offer.

Which is your favourite restaurant in Brighton, Hove or Sussex and why?

A firm favourite that I return to time and time again is Terre à Terre. I’ve seen the most determined of carnivores turn vegetarian here (for at least an hour or two, anyway). The menu ditches any preconceptions of veggie food being lentil based rabbit food, and their battered halloumi and vodka-spiked tomatoes with a side of posh mushy peas stole my heart a few years ago – I’ve never looked back. Plus, any dessert menu that features booze-based ‘liquid puddings’ is a winner in my eyes!

Which is your favourite food dish or genre of cuisine and why?

This depends on so many things – what I’m doing, who I’m with, day of the week, time of day. A cold Sunday afternoon calls for a roast in one of the city’s many awesome pubs. A night out with friends means loads of real Italian style pizza. Generally I’m a big fan of hearty, indulgent meals (hence my love for deep fried halloumi).

Life is too short to count calories!

What areas are of great importance to you when you visit a restaurant?

No matter how good the food is, I think service should always come first. I’ve returned to restaurants where the food hasn’t been what I expected or even that good, but the service has been first rate. Plus, a knowledgeable waiter who can talk you through the menu and wine list is invaluable.

Obviously a menu with a good selection of vegetarian options is important to me. A goat’s cheese and onion tart isn’t going to cut it when Brighton has so many veggie-friendly choices on offer.